Those Deep Blue Eyes
by Chloe04
Summary: Anna Beaumont is a English women who is been kept safe with Lord Cornwallis, and doesn't like Green Dragoon Colonel William Tavington, or if they get to know each other will she? TavingtonOfc
1. Chapter 1

**Hey there guys, this is a new story that I just had to write, and is part of one of my favourite Jason Isaac films, THE PATRIOT!!!! I'd really appreciate it if you were all honest in your reviews, and you have to review! Well, that would be nice.**

**Anyways, I'll get to the point……The story!**

**_.:Chapter One:._**

Anna Beaumont stared of her new bedrooms window. The British had just recently managed to take hold of South Carolina, and the General Lord Cornwallis had a new home.

Anna sighed and thought about how trapped she felt. Her brother, who had just recently been killed, had been apart of His Royal Majesties Green Dragoons. He had been wounded on the battle field and then later passed away in the hospital tents. Apparently his last words to Lord Cornwallis were that he wished the Lord would ensure my his sisters protection and take care of her. Cornwallis kept his promise, and most defiantly kept her under protection. Where ever she went there was a guard, whenever she asked if she could go for a walk in near by woods, the answer was no, and she hated it. But she had to be grateful, if it wasn't for Lord Cornwallis she most likely would be dead now, thrown out of the protection of the army. So in fairness, she couldn't complain.

Anna was interrupted from her thoughts when a stiff cough came from behind her. She frowned and the turned around to find the one man she really didn't want to see.

"Colonel Tavington. How may I help you?" She confidently asked, with a very slight French accent, that you had to strain to hear.

Colonel William Tavington smirked slightly, and Anna discreetly rolled her eyes. She didn't want to be alone with the one who had been branded 'The Butcher'.

"Lord Cornwallis wants to see you. No doubt give you your rules whilst we are here in Fort Carolina" He sneered at her.

Anna kept her head held high and the nodded.

"Lead the way Colonel" And with that Colonel Tavington left the room, leaving Anna to follow him.

The short journey to Lord Cornwallis seemed to last forever in the silence, something which Anna hated. But she had no interest in speaking to Colonel Tavington, not after the stories her brother had told her. About how once the Colonel had shot dead a fathers wife and children, leaving the man alive to die of guilt from not answering a question that he was asked. How he had taken all the women from a village and locked them in a house, and then had it burned to the ground.

Anna felt herself beginning to feel sick as she remembered the stories her brother had mentioned with teary eyes.

"Everything alright Miss Beaumont?" She heard Colonel Tavington ask her.

Anna quickly shook all the thoughts from her head and nodded.

"Perfect" She mumbled.

Colonel Tavington once again smirked at her reply and then knocked on the door in front of them.

"Enter" Came a loud voice.

Colonel Tavington straightened out his jacket before opening the door and entering.

"Ah! Colonel Tavington! Anna!" Lord Cornwallis gestured for Anna to sit on the chair in front of his desk.

"Lord Cornwallis. I trust everything is alright?" Anna politely asked him.

"Indeed, indeed. Now as you can see we have come a great deal in this war' Anna smiled and nodded.

'But that doesn't mean that it is safe. So, for your own protection you are not permitted to leave the walls of this fort. I promised your brother I would keep you safe until the age of 21, that is still 2 years away, so until then, you must obey my orders" Lord Cornwallis sternly told her.

Anna nodded and then let her eyes fall onto the Colonel who was drinking a glass of brandy and smirking at her. In return Anna glared at him, and then turned back to Lord Cornwallis and kindly looked at him.

"As you wish my Lord. Once again, I thank you" She continued to smile.

Lord Cornwallis gave her a kind look.

"Is your room suitable?" He asked, excepting a drink of his man servant Charles O'Hara.

"Yes thank you. Its almost beautiful. And the view will be amazing after the remains of the battle are cleared" Anna remembered seeing a number Continental Soldiers bodies scattered around the field.

"Yes indeed' Cornwallis now looked away from Anna.

'Colonel Tavington is that been sorted to now?"

"Yes sir. Our men are out there now. It should look….What did you say Miss Beaumont…'Amazing' In a couple of hours" He smugly answered, as he looked over at Anna.

Her mind worked quickly.

"Now, Lord Cornwallis, I'll leave you and Colonel Tavington alone. I believe your wanting a word with him about his 'brutal' methods" Anna looked over at Colonel Tavington and saw his expression change and his eye brow raise, his startlingly blue eyes allowed a bit of anger run through them.

Anna smirked and curtsied to Lord Cornwallis, and then confidently left the room, feeling pleasantly pleased with herself.

Colonel William Tavington and General Lord Cornwallis watched as Anna left the room, and then gently closed the door behind her.

"She's quite the young lady isn't she?" Lord Cornwallis smiled at Colonel Tavington.

"Indeed sir. But I believe she needs to learn a few more qualities of been a young lady' He answered, and then placed his glass on the desk and sat in the chair that Anna was in just moments before.

'Now, I believe you have some problems with my methods?"

Anna made it back to her new room and sighed deeply, she was going to be bored, very bored.

She looked over to her window out over on the far side of the field and her deep blue eyes suddenly saddened. The British were throwing the continental soldiers carelessly in a hole, all of them been buried together - in a unmarked grave.

She didn't believe in war, it just meant more death, and now her only brother and family was dead because of it.

Slowly Anna turned away from the window and walked over to where her trunks were, and after a while of looking around in them, she found what she was looking for. She slowly brought out a little light blue book and she held it to her chest.

In the book were stories that had been written for her by her father on her 12th birthday. The stories were about love, happiness and one thing she would never have freedom. After reading the stories on her 12th birthday she remembered thinking how life was so easy for them in the story. They weren't full of war and fighting at all, and Anna felt envious of them, even now as she held the book to her chest at 19 years of age, she still felt it.

Colonel Tavington angrily stomped out of Lord Cornwallis' new office. He couldn't believe that people, people been his men he was in charge of, had complained about how he was when the Continentals weren't truthful or paid no attention. He was only doing his job, the more Continentals he killed the more likely the British would receive victory. Tavington was furious, he needed someway of getting rid of some of his anger. So off he marched down into the yard, he found a large wooden post and got out his Sabre then began hacking away at the wood. After a few minutes he stopped, feeling like he was calm again and looked up at the house his eyes focusing on someone staring from the window at him. It was Anna Beaumont. He long wavy dark hair fell down her shoulder, and her deep blue eyes bored into his. And then he noticed something, she was giving him, quite possibly one of the most disgusted stares he had ever received. He snarled back up at her, put his Sabre away and then stalked off into the house.


	2. Chapter 2

**.:Chapter Two:.**

Colonel Tavington sat in the darkness of the night outside the house in Fort Carolina, holding a bottle of rum in his hand, and of which half of it was gone. He rubbed his head and looked around thinking that he wasn't going to change his ways, he wasn't going to show any chance in his ways with the continentals. He lifted the bottle to his mouth to have a large gulp, when suddenly something stopped him from doing this. A figure moved in the darkness, towards the backend of the Fort walls. Tavington frowned and then placed the bottle on the floor, picked up his pistol, and began following the cloaked figure.

Anna moved quickly through the darkness and headed to where the Fort Walls would be guard-less and where she knew she would be able to think and sit, looking up at the stars. Quickly finding her way there, Anna took of her cloak and placed it on the floor. Turning, she looked up at the beautiful clear night sky, and was lost in the amount of stars up there. She didn't know any of the constellations so she just gazed at the stars. Suddenly she heard a click and Anna felt something touch the back of her head.

"Miss Beaumont. How lovely to…..See you" Tavington smirked, and looked down at the night dress that Anna was wearing.

Anna quickly spun around and came face to face with Tavington and his pistol pointed at her head. Anna was scared, but she wasn't going to let him see it.

"Colonel Tavington, would you be so kind as to remove your pistol from my face" She spoke slowly to him, staring into his eyes.

Colonel Tavington grinned.

"Would you care to tell why your out here? And with hardly anything on as well" He asked, once again that smug look plastered on his face.

Anna sighed, and her hands nervously played with each other as she looked at the ground, and then back at the Colonel's eyes.

"I just wanted sometime to myself. I get bored been in that room all the time, and then I am been watched the General's guards!" Anna nearly shouted.

"Don't go shouting now! If anyone should be shouting, it should be me. You've been here no less than 2 weeks, and your already breaking Lord Cornwallis rules, sneaking off in the middle of the night. Its not lady-like" Tavington gave her a dangerous look, but keep his voice calm, with no hint of anger in it.

Anna breathed in deeply, feeling herself becoming angry. Her mind was giving her two options Answer back, or be lady-like, and go back to the room.

"Tell me, Colonel. How many innocent Americans have you killed these last 2 weeks?" Anna sneered back at him, almost looking as if she was challenging his pistol.

Colonel Tavington's eyes flashed anger, and he quickly moved forward, dropping his pistol on the ground, then grabbed Anna's neck, pushing her up against the wall.

"Don't speak of things you don't understand" He growled, his large hand wrapped around her porcelain skin neck, and his whole body was pressing into hers, keeping her pushed tight against the wall. Anna's breathing became ragged, and it was now that she looked frightened, but only for a moment, both Tavington and Anna knew that she wouldn't give him the satisfaction.

"Colonel Tavington, un-hand me now, otherwise, Lord Cornwallis shall be hearing about this" She warned him, in panting breathes.

Colonel Tavington smirked slightly, and his other free hand came up to reach for her cheek, and he gently ran the back of his hand down it. Anna quickly moved her head to the side, but Tavington grasped her chin, forcing her to look at him.

"You know Miss Beaumont. Your very lucky that I found you out here, and not another. They might be a bit more eager…To see what's underneath that night dress than myself" He let his eyes fall down her neck and to her chest, which was rising up and down quickly.

"Keep your hands off me!" Anna dangerously said, knowing that if he wanted his own way with her, he would win the fight.

Colonel Tavington smirked.

"Don't worry Miss Beaumont. I have no intention of harming you" He sneered, then let go of her chin, but lingered in front of her for a while, looking into her eyes and saw that she was now frightened. He moved his body from hers and watched as she brought a shaking hand up to her chest and begin to breath heavily.

Colonel Tavington frowned, feeling slightly concerned.

"Miss Beaumont' He turned slightly and looked at her with a raised eye brow.

'Are you alright?"

He walked a little closer to her, but stopped when he saw her flinch, and move away from him, then she nodded.

"You just…..Scared me a little bit" She admitted.

Colonel Tavington looked slightly shocked for a moment, seeing that she had admitted something that she normally wouldn't. But that wasn't it, it was also because of the feeling that he got. The feeling of guilt. He never felt guilt.

Looking softly over at Anna he did something that shocked her. He held out his hand for her.

"Come, I'll take you back to your room" He quietly told her.

Anna looked taken aback. She knew that this was his way of apologizing. After a short while of looking at him, Anna nodded, and walked past him, picking up her cloak of the floor, and continuing to slowly start walking.

Colonel Tavington took a moment for him to gather what had just happened, but then he turned in the direction of Anna, and started following after her.

He eventually caught up, and then they began silently walking back to the room. Once inside the house, they made there way to Anna's bedroom door. Once there, Anna held her clock to her chest and she turned to the Colonel, there eyes meeting each others.

Anna opened her mouth as if about to say something when there was a abrupt cough to the left of them, both of them quickly moved there heads to the intruder.

It was Charles O'Hara, General Lord Cornwallis man-servant.

"What do you want O'Hara?" Colonel Tavington snapped.

Anna had to suppress a grin from the disgusted look on O'Hara's face.

"I am wondering, Colonel Tavington. What exactly you are doing here, escorting Miss Beaumont to her room, in the early hours of the morning?" O'Hara seemed quite glad to have seen this.

"I assure you Mr. O'Hara, that what you are thinking is not true" Anna politely told him.

O'Hara smiled.

"And what, pray tell, is it that I am thinking?" He smirked at her.

Anna allowed a gasp escape her mouth.

"Mr. O'Hara, would you please tell me what you plan on doing with what you have seen?" Colonel Tavington asked, his eye brow raised.

O'Hara's smile grew even bigger as he walked closer to the two.

"Bribery" He told them.

Anna laughed.

"Well, if you think that was going to work, you have got to look as dumb headed as you look in that ridicules powdered wig!" Anna spat out.

O'Hara stopped smiling and glared at Anna.

"That's no way to speak Miss Beaumont" He told her, threateningly.

Colonel Tavington stood in front of Anna, and looked down at O'Hara, who was quite a bit shorted than he.

"Are you threatening Miss Beaumont. Tut tut. What would Lord Cornwallis think of this?" He smiled.

O'Hara frowned.

"What would he think of me. What about y-" Colonel Tavington stopped what O'Hara was about to say.

"What would he think of one of his most faithful servants, trying to…..Rape, one of Lord Cornwallis women, that he trusted to keep safe. I believe you were threatened tonight Miss Beaumont, but Charles O'Hara, were you not?" He asked Anna, but continuing to stare at O'Hara.

"Yes, yes I was" Anna smirked at O'Hara.

Charles O'Hara frowned and then glared at the both of them, and then turned and began stalking off to his own room.

Anna smiled, and looked at Colonel Tavington as he turned around to her, a rare smile graced his face. He looked quite good-looking, Anna thought.

"Thank you Colonel" She smiled at him, and then opened the door behind her, but her back still to it.

"Your welcome. And please. Call me William" And with that, he began walking down the corridor, until he was out of sight.

Anna frowned to herself, and felt herself beginning to have strange feelings for Colonel Tavington, or William, now.

Shaking her head, her smile still intact, she walked into her room, gently closing the door behind her.


	3. Chapter 3

_**Hey guys. Sorry for not updating sooner, I haven't had the internet so haven't been able to upload or anything.  
Hope your still going to read and review.  
x**_

_**.:Chapter Three:.**_

Anna sat herself down at the dinner table and placed her napkin on her skirts. She was late to dinner with General Lord Cornwallis. She had managed to sleep in, for some reason her maid was not there to wake her in time.

"Miss Beaumont' Anna looked over to the voice that had spoken to her, and found Colonel Tavington smirking over at her.

'Is there a particular reason for you been so late?" He was sitting next to a curious looking Lord Cornwallis.

Anna sighed, she couldn't tell him that she had slept in, she would most likely get told off from Lord Cornwallis, and then her maid would most probably be sent away, and Anna didn't want to get anyone in trouble. Anna would simply have to lie, something she didn't mind doing in front of Lord Cornwallis.

"I was ill this morning. Thought for a while I wasn't going to be able to come down, but came round eventually" She lied, as she accepted a glass of water of a servant.

Colonel Tavington smirked at her, and Anna saw him shake his head slightly.

"Your feeling alright now though? No feeling like your going to faint on us?" Lord Cornwallis joked, and Anna laughed slightly then shook her head.

Lord Cornwallis gave her a kind smile, and Anna returned it.

She declined her meal as she really wasn't hungry and got a nasty looking glare of one of the servants serving Colonel Tavington. Anna frowned, and looked down at her plate then looked over at the window and saw Charles O'Hara stood smirking at her.

Anna quickly looked away from him, if she had to look at his smirking face any longer, she would end up doing something she would regret.

Anna sighed, and thought about the beautiful grounds outside the walls of the Fort. Thinking about when the war would be ended, and she would be able to go out and explore. She desperately wanted to escape the grounds, even for a few hours.

"Anna?" She quickly looked over at Lord Cornwallis and Colonel Tavington.

"Yes" She asked, in a bored tone, that she didn't mean to be there.

"Are you alright. You seem very distant?" Lord Cornwallis asked.

Anna smiled.

"Yes, I'm fine. Sorry I wasn't listening. What have you been talking about?" Anna laughed slightly and then put her full attention on them, knowing that they were probably discussing some battle strategy or anything to do with war.

She was caught of guard when it wasn't.

"We were talking about the ball that we are going to be holding her soon, as we are not yet in North Carolina" Anna saw Colonel Tavington roll his eyes, and Anna wanted to know exactly why.

"Pardon my interruption Lord Cornwallis, but why are we not yet in North Carolina?" Anna asked, her eyes on Colonel Tavington.

"I'll let our Colonel explain that" Lord Cornwallis answered, whilst stirring his cup of tea.

Colonel Tavington rolled his eyes once more and then looked over at Anna, who had a slight smirk on her face.

"Well, Miss Beaumont. Our men, who have been out the walls, have been attacked. They are been sent out to different parts that we have managed to capture, and then they are shot dead. Even the ones carrying out orders to collect dresses for you, or clothes for Lord Cornwallis. The militia doing this are lead by a man, who the men have named 'The Ghost' " Colonel Tavington told her.

Anna lifted her head, and nodded, deciding in her head that it was maybe better to stay inside the walls for a while.

"Thats why you haven't received any new dresses" Lord Cornwallis told her.

"I didn't even notice' Anna suddenly remembered something.

'My maid. Sally, where has she gone?" She asked suddenly, Colonel Tavington noticing concern in her voice.

"She in the cells" Charles O'Hara answered for Lord Cornwallis.

Anna frowned and looked over at Colonel Tavington.

"On what charges?"

"Giving information to the militia" He smoothly answered, a slightly gleam in his eye.

Anna stood up suddenly causing the chair she had been sitting on to fall backwards and hit the ground hard.

"What have you done to her?" She shouted at Colonel Tavington.

Lord Cornwallis quickly stood up and pointed his finger at Anna.

"You will apologize to Colonel Tavington. He has not laid a hand on your maid, and nor will he. She is to be sent away at dawn tomorrow" Lord Cornwallis forcefully told her.

Anna bent her head low and then looked up at Colonel Tavington and gave him a cold stare.

"I apologize for my out burst" She quietly told him.

Colonel Tavington smiled at her and then nodded, and Anna sat down on the chair that a servant had picked up for her.

"Now, before you interrupted me, I was talking about the ball that we are going to be holding. You are to accompany Colonel Tavington" Lord Cornwallis sternly told her.

Anna's eyes widened, and her breath caught in the back of her throat.

"It seems to me that Colonel Tavington's reputation needs a bit of a boost. And you are the answer. When the guest see you with him, they will think that you are going to calm his brutal ways with the militia" Lord Cornwallis spoke in a tone that Anna knew she would not be able to argue with.

"And when is this ball going to be happening?" She asked, looking over at Colonel Tavington who in return, was looking at her.

"On the 29th. Which I believe is your birthday as well"

Anna nodded, and thought about the evening she would be spending with William. Anna frowned, feeling slightly strange as to thinking of calling Colonel Tavington William.

"May I be excused?" She asked.

Lord Cornwallis nodded his head, and with a curtsy to all of the gentlemen in the room, Anna quickly left.

Once in a good distance between the room which held the 2 men in and herself, Anna fell against a wall and her hand flew to her mouth. She felt so angry. She was been ordered to go to a ball with a man the public were calling 'the butcher', and knowing of his reputation made it feel even worse. But, Anna couldn't argue with Lord Cornwallis, she knew that was an losing battle.

Anna was shaken from her thoughts when there was a tap on her shoulder. She spun around, and came face to face with Colonel Tavington, his face was close, she could feel his warm breath on her face.

"May I help you?" Anna asked, a little rude.

Colonel Tavington's eye brow raised, and he had a slight smile on his face.

"I was just wondering why you left the room so suddenly, but I suppose your just have a tan trum about having to attentend the ball with me" He answered, his smooth voice making un wanted shivers go down Anna's back.

"Possibly. But you shall never know, as I'm leaving now" She sternly answered, and then began walking up some stairs.

Tavington quickly smiled and then began following after her.

"There's a dress maker arriving today. Your to be fitted at 3pm" He told her, now following her up the stairs and into the corridor which held her room.

"Very well. I'll make sure I'm not busy with boredom at that time" And with that Anna walked into her room, slamming the door behind her.

Colonel Tavington frowned when the door was slammed in his face, and he felt anger surge through his body. He quickly opened the door, and marched in, slamming it behind him.

"WHAT DO YOU THINK YOUR DOING?!" Anna shouted at him.

Colonel Tavington came in front of Anna and stared into her eyes.

"You'll do well not to speak to me like that girl" He sneered at her, his eyes blazing with anger.

Anna felt herself un noticeably shake with fear at the look in his piercing blue eyes.

"Please. Leave my room Colonel" Anna shakily told him.

Colonel Tavington smirked and then brought his hand up to rub Anna's cheek. She turned her head away and then her chin was forcefully grabbed, and she was turned to look at Colonel Tavington.

"If there is any behaviour like this at the ball, then I shall be forced to hurt you. And, to be honest, I don't want to hurt you. I think you'll find...Anna, that we could get along, if you stopped thinking about pathetic stories your brother told you" He calmly told her, looking down into her big eyes.

Anna looked back into his own cold blue eyes, and then regrettably nodded.

"Very well Col - William" Anna quickly reminded herself.

William nodded, and then let go off Anna's face, where her hand quickly came up and rubbed the skin which now had slight red marking on it.

"I shall see you at dinner tonight Anna" William told her.

Anna looked over at him, and forced herself to smile.

"It'll be a pleasure" She answered.

"I think you'll find the pleasure will be all mine" And with that William left the room, leaving a confused and shaken looking Anna.


	4. Chapter 4

**Hey guys. Sorry I haven't updated. Had no internet connection. Here is the update. Hope it was worth the wait.**

**I just realised as well, I haven't given you a description of Anna. Well, here it is. Anna has long blonde hair, that is quite dark, with deep blue eyes. She is around 5 foot 6 inches tall, and has a slender figure with long shaped legs and a slim pear shaped figure. **

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**.:Chapter Four:.**

Its was March 29th. The day of both Anna's 20th birthday and General Lord Cornwallis ball. Anna had a nervous feeling in her stomach all day, she didn't want to spend the whole night on Colonel Tavington's arm, whilst people were presuming that soon her and Colonel Tavington would be married.

Anna sat at the desk in her bedroom, writing a letter to one of her friends back in France. She was telling her about the night that was planned ahead of her, how Anna had no idea what was going to happen during the hours leading up to the ball. She didn't even know what dress she was wearing yet.

Anna had received her birthday present from Lord Cornwallis, and was very pleased. He had given her a book, with everything that William Shakespeare in, and she loved it. She had only read a few plays by Shakespeare, and she was desperate to read more, Lord Cornwallis had known this.

Anna finished writing her letter, and sealed it in a envelope and then began her way downstairs to give it to the mail man. Half way down the stairs she heard a door slam behind her and then heavy footsteps, that soon reached next to her. She turned her head and found a familiar looking Colonel walking next to her.

"Hello Anna" Colonel Tavington said to her.

They both reached the bottom of the stairs and stopped, turning to each other Colonel Tavington smiled at her. Anna gave him a small shy smile, as she wasn't used to him smiling.

"Colonel Tavington. You're here for the ball?" Anna asked, addressing him as Colonel, as there were people running around in the corridors.

"Of course. And how could you forget. Your attending the ball with me" He smiled at her.

Anna sighed, and looked embarrassed.

"I'm sorry. I've had my head in the clouds today" She mumbled, and moved some hair from her face.

"Yes, I'm sure you have. I have something for you" Colonel Tavington brought out a velvet box from his pocket, and he handed it over to Anna.

Anna frowned and then accepted the box from him.

"You sure?" She asked. She had only met the man a few times.

Colonel Tavington nodded, and then looked a little bored.

Anna looked back down at the black velvet box and slowly began opening it, and she gasped when she saw what was inside it.

There was a white gold chain and at the bottom hung a single tear shaped diamond.

"Colonel Tavington!" Anna nearly shouted, she was in shock.

Colonel Tavington's eye brow raised.

"Do you not like it?" He asked.

Anna took the necklace carefully out of its case and held it up in front of her.

"Its beautiful' Anna told him, looking deeply into his strikingly blue eyes.

'Thank you"

Colonel Tavington hid a small smile.

"Your welcome. I just hope that it will match your dress" He told her, as they now began walking outside, Anna still admiring the beautiful gift.

"I'll make sure that it will" She answered, and now carefully began placing the item back in its velvet case.

"Well, Miss Beaumont" Anna interrupted him.

"Please. Call me Anna" She smiled.

"Anna. I'll leave you here. I have work to attend to. I shall see you this evening' Colonel Tavington gently took Anna's small, delicate hand and softly kissed the back of it, causing Anna's stomach to tingle.

'Happy Birthday" He whispered, and then turned around and walked away, until reaching his horse and mounting it.

Anna watched him until he and his men had left the walls of the Fort, and then she looked down at her hand. Still smiling, she brought it up to her chest, and gently touched the place which had been kissed by the mysterious Colonel. Quickly noting her surroundings, Anna dropped her hand, and then walked back into the house and into the mail room, un aware of the pair of eyes that had been watching her.

Lord Corwallis turned away from the window after Anna had gone back inside the building, and sat down at his desk.

"Charles. Do you think anything is going on between Colonel Tavington and Miss Beaumont?" He asked his General, then took a drink of his water.

General O'Hara smirked and then moved to Lord Cornwallis' side.

"I wouldn't like to say sir" He quietly answered, knowing that Lord Cornwallis would want to know more.

"What's that suppose to mean?" He causally asked, turning and looking at General O'Hara.

Charles O'Hara sighed and looked down at the floor, knowing he would be in Lord Cornwallis' good books after this, and there was no way of Colonel Tavington of harming him.

"Lord Cornwallis. I shouldn't even be telling you this. As, Colonel Tavington told me I couldn't. A few nights ago I was returning from a meeting, and I found Colonel Tavington and Miss Beaumont returning from outside. Miss Beaumont was only dressed in her night gown" O'Hara slowly told Lord Cornwallis.

Lord Cornwallis' eyes flashed anger and he hit the table with his fist whilst standing up.

"Damn that man! He has to ruin everything" Lord Cornwallis shouted.

"My Lord. Now that I have told you. I beg you, don't mention anything to either of them. Colonel Tavington did warn me after all" O'Hara told him, following Lord Cornwallis to the window.

"I shall confront them both after the ball. I want to see how they are with each other tonight. Colonel Tavington cannot ruin another woman's life" Lord Cornwallis sighed, and ran his hand down his face, his tired looking eyes searching for Colonel Tavington's men riding in the distance.

Anna allowed the dresser to enter her room, and place all of the beautifully different coloured dresses on her bed.

"My name is Madam Kinston, and I'll be helping you choose the dress that you will be wearing tonight. We have 2 and a half hours to get you looking even more beautiful than you already are my dear" The older woman smiled at Anna.

Anna laughed shyly and then closed the door after two men, who looked as if they were dressed from the Dragoons 'William must be back' Anna thought, carried in a trunk.

"All the dresses that are here are already fitted to your size, as you had a fitting a few days ago, and they are all the colours that you asked for. The shoes should also fit you, unless they've grown, but I think your passed that stage at 20 years old now" Madam Kinston smiled at Anna whilst undoing the back of her dress, and pulling it off her so she now stood in her corset and under clothes.

"I need something that will match a diamond. With a white gold chain" Anna told Madam Kinston as she looked through the different pairs of shoes.

"Show me the necklace" Madam Kinston told her, and picked up one of the dresses.

Anna nodded and then walked over to her desk and pulled out the draw, taking the box out she turned around to Madam Kinston who was stood with a dress in each hand. Once was a deep blue colour, almost looked purple, and then other was a light pink.

"Here" Anna told her, opening the box to show her.

"Put it on" Madam Kinston commanded, and then turned around and began undoing the dress that was the deep blue colour.

Anna frowned, and then put on the necklace.

"I'm going to try you in this one first. I think it will look better than the pink" Madam Kinston spoke as she put the dress on Anna, and began doing up the back.

"I didn't even pick pink" Anna told her, whilst Madam Kinston began finishing the lacing on the back.

Madam Kinston finished her work and spun Anna to face her, and she gave her a long look.

"You'll need to take your own corset off. The top of the dress is already a corset" She told her, and then began rummaging around for some shoes.

Anna looked down at the dress.

"But. Madam Kinston. Are you sure that will be appropriate. I mean, the dress is already quite revealing" Anna told her, her hands on her flat stomach.

"No! it's a new fashion. You'll be the bell of the ball" She smiled back at Anna, and brought out some matching coloured shoe's that were healed slightly on the bottom making Anna seem slightly taller.

"But still people cou-"

"Anna, honestly. It looks great on you" Madam Kinston interrupted, and Anna knew she was going to be wearing this dress.

"Well, is there at least a shawl I could use? So I don't feel so bare" Anna asked, looking down at herself.

"Yes I'll give you one when your ready" Madam Kinston replied, whilst she stood her hand on her chin, examining Anna.

She was interrupted by a knock on the door.

"Who will that be?" Madam Kinston asked Anna and motioned for her to move so whoever was at the door wouldn't see her.

Anna moved out of the way, and listened as Madam Kinston opened the door.

"Miss Beaumont?" Anna heard a unrecognisable male voice.

"Do I look like Miss Beaumont?" Madam Kinston sarcastically asked the male voice.

"Err, no ma'am. I have this letter for her. Could you make sure she gets it?" He asked, his voice showing a hint of fear.

"Of course I will" Madam Kinston snatched the envelope from the mans hand and then closed the door in his face.

"Miss Beaumont, a letter for you" Miss Kinston turned and handed the envelope to her.

Anna looked at the front of it, and saw that there was no address, just MISS A BEAUMONT so it must have come from somebody in the house.

"I wonder who its from?" Anna asked herself.

"Well open it dear. Then you'll know" Madam Kinston answered her from the other side of the room, whilst looking through small tiara's.

Anna continued looking at the envelope and then she began opening it. 'Who is it from?' She kept thinking.

She pulled out the letter, and un-folded it.

_Anna, _

_Meet me at 6.30 outside Lord Cornwallis' office. Apparently he wishes to speak to us before we go down to the ball._

_Until tonight,_

_William_

Anna's heart was beating hard in her chest as she folded the letter up and put it back in the envelope.

"Who was it from?" Madam Kinston asked, holding a diamond clasp for hair in her hand.

"Err. Colonel Tavington" Anna answered, and then placed the letter on her desk and began walking back over to Miss Kinston.

"Colonel Tavington? Of the Green Dragoon's?" Madam Kinston asked, her eye brows raised.

"Yes. I'm attending him to the ball tonight" Anna answered, looking down at the dress.

"Attending the ball with Colonel Tavington? The one there calling the butcher?" She asked, her voice now quite high.

"Yes! Lord Cornwallis thinks that people seeing him at the ball will somehow make him seem more human" Anna answered, taking the hair clasp from Madam Kinston's hand and examining it.

"There going to leave you with him all night. I'm sure Lord Cornwallis isn't that mean" She told Anna, now playing around with the long end of the back of the dress.

"Colonel Tavington is actually quite a nice man. I try not to think about the bad stories I've been told" Anna honestly replied, running her fingers over the diamonds in the clasp.

"Yes well, I hope there's going to be someone watching over you tonight" Madam Kinston answered, and then began undoing the back of Anna's dress.

"What are you doing?" Anna asked, trying to be turned around, but was pushed back around by Madam Kinston's strong hands.

"Getting you out of your corset" She answered.

Anna rolled her eyes and couldn't wait until she could actually go to the ball. 'It had better be worth all of this' Thought Anna.


End file.
